Sunday, October 19, 2003

Indian detectives have arrested the chief of a private company which allegedly exported banned chemicals to Iraq, a report said Saturday.

Hans Raj Shiv, director of Indian NEC Engineers Private Limited, was arrested on Friday on his arrival from Ukraine, the Pioneer newspaper reported.

Shiv and his firm are being investigated for allegedly shipping "weapons-grade" chemicals to Iraq, which was supposedly used by former president Saddam Hussein between 1999-2001 to build up his arsenal, the report said.

The United States had imposed sanctions against Shiv and his company in February for violating laws which forbid trading chemical and biological weapons, the report said.